winding

[ wahyn-ding ]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that winds.
2. a bend, turn, or flexure.
3. a coiling, folding, or wrapping, as of one thing about another.
4. something that is wound or coiled, or a single round of it.
5. Electricity.
   1. a symmetrically laid, electrically conducting current path in any device.
   2. the manner of such coiling:

      a series winding.

adjective

1. bending or turning; sinuous.
2. spiral, as stairs.

winding

/ ˈwaɪndɪŋ /

noun

1. a curving or sinuous course or movement
2. anything that has been wound or wrapped around something
3. a particular manner or style in which something has been wound
4. a curve, bend, or complete turn in wound material, a road, etc
5. often plural devious thoughts or behaviour

   the tortuous windings of political argumentation

6. one or more turns of wire forming a continuous coil through which an electric current can pass, as used in transformers, generators, etc
7. another name for wind 2
8. a coil of tubing in certain brass instruments, esp the French horn

adjective

1. curving; sinuous

   a winding road

Derived Forms

• ˈwindingly, adverb

Other Words From

• winding·ly adverb
• winding·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of winding¹

before 1050; Middle English (noun), Old English windung (noun); wind ², -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Ravines — which line both sides of the winding roads in Las Posas Estates and Camarillo Heights — are particularly dangerous, said Kyle Ferris, fire behavior analyst with the Mountain Incident Command Team.

From Los Angeles Times

Winding up face down on the court, Bilodeau pounded the hardwood with both hands and uttered an expletive.

From Los Angeles Times

Recent reports claimed that Smith is already in the process of winding down the cases.

From Salon

Now all of the criminal proceedings against him are winding down, since Department of Justice policy prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president.

From Slate

The US Department of Justice is in talks with the office of special counsel Jack Smith over winding down the two federal cases he is overseeing against president-elect Donald Trump, according to US media reports.

From BBC

Related Words

• bending
• curving
• meandering
• serpentine
• sinuous
• snaking
• tortuous
• turning
• twisting
• twisty
• windy
• zigzag